Chapter 5 What Does Homewrecker Mean?

(Evelyn's POV)

Adrian's tall frame went rigid. He looked at tiny Stella in the doorway, and the anger he'd just been aiming at me vanished from his face. In its place was a guilty look he couldn't hide.

I hurried over, crouched down, and pulled Stella into my arms. "Baby, were Mommy and Daddy talking too loud? Did we wake you up?"

Stella shook her head against my shoulder. Then she peeked at Adrian over my arm, her lashes still wet, and asked in a tiny voice, "Mommy, I had a bad dream. Can you and Daddy both sleep in my room tonight? Just for tonight. I promise I won't kick."

I turned to look at Adrian, expecting him to use work as an excuse to say no. But when he looked at his daughter's pale face, maybe out of guilt for what she might have overheard, he actually nodded. "Okay," he said quietly. "Daddy will stay with you tonight."

That night, the three of us squeezed onto the little bed in Stella's room. Adrian was far too tall for it, and his feet hung off the end. Stella giggled at that until I hushed her.

Stella lay in the middle, one little hand clutching the edge of my shirt and the other holding on to Adrian's finger. "Daddy, will you tell me a story?" she whispered.

Adrian hesitated, then told her a clumsy story about a little wolf pup who got lost in the woods and found her way home. He wasn't any good at it, but Stella listened like it was the best story in the world. She fell asleep before the end, a contented little smile on her lips.

For the first time in six years, the three of us were lying in the same bed like a real family.

In the dark, Adrian reached across her and pulled the blanket up over my shoulder. "Get some sleep," he said quietly. "You look tired."

I looked at him in the faint glow of the night-light, at Stella's tiny hand still wrapped around his finger, and something I'd thought was long dead stirred in my chest. Maybe it wasn't too late. Maybe, for Stella's sake, we could still be a family.

I fell asleep that night with a little hope in my heart. I didn't know it wouldn't even last until breakfast.

Early the next morning, the chime of the doorbell broke the quiet of the house.

I'd just gotten Stella dressed and was leading her down the stairs when I saw the front door open. Vanessa was standing in the entryway, holding a huge bouquet of lilies. Adrian stood in front of her.

"Adrian, I'm so sorry." Vanessa looked up at him, her eyes shimmering with tears. "I heard you missed taking Stella to Disneyland yesterday because of me. I feel just awful about it, so I brought some flowers for her today."

Adrian reached out and gave Vanessa's shoulder a gentle pat. His voice was softer than I'd ever heard it. "It's not your fault. I'll take her another time. Stella's a good kid. She'll understand."

Vanessa gave the tiniest smile and seized the moment to lean into Adrian's arms.

I stood on the stairs, holding Stella's hand. She would understand. She always did. That was exactly what hurt the most.

Stella had never met Vanessa. She watched Adrian touch another woman so tenderly, then turned her little face up to me in confusion. "Mommy, who's that lady Daddy's hugging?"

I took a deep breath, swallowed the anger in my chest, and answered calmly. "That's your daddy's friend."

Stella scrunched up her little brow. She looked down at Vanessa, then back at me, and spoke up in a clear little voice, with the kind of innocence only a child has.

"Mommy, Lily from kindergarten said her daddy hugged a lady who wasn't her mommy, and her mommy cried and cried. Lily said that lady was a homewrecker."

She tilted her head and asked in all sincerity, "Mommy, what does homewrecker mean? Is it somebody who breaks houses?"

Her words rang out in the quiet living room.

Vanessa flinched. She took a step back, her eyes welling up instantly, and big fat tears splashed onto the floor. "I... I'm not a homewrecker. Evelyn, I know you hate that I came back, but how could you teach such a little kid to say something like that to humiliate me?"

Adrian's face darkened. He looked up at me. "Evelyn, is this how you're raising our daughter? Where would a six-year-old even learn a word like that?"

"I didn't teach her that.It's just something she heard from another kid at kindergarten. She doesn't even know what it means."

"That's enough, Evelyn." Adrian didn't believe a word I said, and his voice rose.

Stella let go of my hand and stepped out in front of me. She spread her thin little arms as wide as they would go, as if she could hide me behind her, and look up at her father. "Daddy, don't yell at Mommy." Her voice wobbled, but she didn't move. "Mommy is good. You're not allowed to be mean to her."

Adrian looked startled. For a moment, the anger in his face wavered, and when he spoke again, his voice was softer, though still firm. "Stella, that's not how we talk to grown-ups. Come down here and say hello to Ms. Reed."

Stella bit her lip stubbornly and shook her head hard. She backed up two steps and hid against my legs, looking so small.

I saw Adrian's jaw tighten, and panic surged through me. Stella's heart couldn't take any kind of shock or stress. I couldn't let Adrian actually lose his temper with her.

I crouched down, swallowing my humiliation, and coaxed her softly. "Be a good girl, Stella. Listen to Mommy. Don't make Daddy mad. Go say hi to the lady."

Stella saw the pleading in my eyes. In the end, she sniffled, her face crumpling with hurt, and walked down the stairs. Very reluctantly, she mumbled to Vanessa, "Hi, Ms. Reed."

Vanessa instantly dried her tears and put on a sweet expression. She stepped forward, reaching out to stroke Stella's hair. "What a good girl you are, Stella. You're so cute. You got Adrian's green eyes, didn't you?"

Stella shrank back. I hurried down the stairs, drew her gently to my side, and bent to whisper in her ear. "Baby, stay close to Mommy, okay? Don't go near the lady."

Adrian frowned at me, but before he could say anything, I took Stella's hand and led her toward the kitchen. "Come on, sweetie. Let's go get you some breakfast."

I sat Stella down at the kitchen table and poured her a glass of milk.

She held it in both hands and drank in small, quiet sips. When she was done, she slid off her chair and tugged at my sleeve. "Mommy, can I go play on the swing?"

I glanced toward the front hall. It was empty now. "Okay," I said. "Just for a little while. No running."

Stella nodded and slipped out through the glass door to the backyard.

I was rinsing it under the tap when I heard Stella crying out. "Mommy! Mommy!"

Stella came running back inside, crying so hard she was shaking. She pointed outside. "Mommy! That lady fell in the pool!"

I raced out to the pool as fast as I could.

Adrian had already jumped into the water and was hauling a soaking-wet Vanessa out. Vanessa was coughing and choking. She clung to Adrian's wet shirt, nestled against his chest.

When she saw me running over, Vanessa spoke to Adrian in a weak voice between coughs. "Adrian... please don't blame Stella... She's so little... I know she didn't mean to push me in..."